Innovative Education Strategies: Non-physician medical staff facilitating the education of undergraduate medical students through practicable experiences

Medical and dental studentsMedical and dental school places are capped in each part of the UK, with "intake targets" used to limit the number of students a higher education provider may recruit in each year.There are caps for both home students and overseas/international students.In June 2023, the NHS published a workforce plan for England that committed to doubling the number of medical school training places to 15,000 a year by 2031/32 and expanding dentistry training places by 40%.Changes to exam arrangements in 2020 -due to the Covid-19 pandemicmeant more applicants than expected met their grades for medical and dental school places.To alleviate pressure on places, the government lifted the cap in 2020/21.The number of English students accepted on medicine and dentistry courses increased by 770, or 9%, in 2020, the number of UK students increased by 890, or 9%.Exams were replaced by teacher assessments in 2021 and the cap on medical and dental school places was again suspended.The total number of acceptances increased by a further 5% in 2021, before falling by 10% in 2022 when the cap was reintroduced.There was an increase of almost 600 (5%) in 2023 which it levels similar to those in 2020, but still below their 2021 peak. Student support arrangementsAcross the UK, students pursuing their first degree in medicine and dentistry can generally get funding for fees and living costs in the form of loans and/or grants.In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, medical and dental students are funded in the same way as other higher education students for the first four years of their degree.In their final years, these students become eligible for a bursary, which means their tuition fees are covered and they receive nonrepayable grants.Like other students in Scotland, eligible medical students have their fees covered for the duration of their course by the Scottish Government.Eligible dental students can apply for an additional grant, which is tied to how long they stay with the NHS following graduation.